Picking up The Pieces
by MoonFairyDoll
Summary: Blaine Anderson has a much needed conversation with his mother. (Angst, Hurt, Comfort) Post 4x05 fic.


**Picking up The Pieces**

Rating: PG-13-ish  
Fandom: Glee  
Character/s: Blaine Anderson, Mrs. Anderson  
Spoilers: Up until episode 4x05.  
Word Count: 3,500+  
Warnings: Slight mention of the Sadie Hawkins dance incident.  
Summary: Blaine has a much needed conversation with his mother. (Angst, Hurt, Comfort)  
A/N: This was written out of personal frustration over the fact that Blaine's parents are basically non-existent. Blaine needs someone in his life and what better person to be there for him than his mom. Also, I totally make use of Blaine's official middle name here; I just couldn't help myself, hehehe. ;) Thank you to my lovely beta: cocktail-party-in-an-abattoir at Tumblr.  
Disclaimer: I don't own absolutely anything. If I did Blaine would never ever be sad.

Patricia Anderson steps into her empty house after arriving from San Francisco where she had spent the past two months working as an advertising executive. Her son, Blaine, is still in school and she's glad for the little alone-time this affords her. She puts down her luggage and walks through the main hallway where she encounters a wall filled with family photos. She sighs as she admires her family. Smiling faces look back at her, frozen in time. Her wedding picture in the middle of the wall is surrounded by pictures of family vacations and holiday gatherings with friends. Her eyes slide over to see pictures of her two gorgeous boys, Cooper and Blaine. A particular picture grabs her attention almost immediately. Cooper was about sixteen-years-old while Blaine was six. They were performing their famous dueling Simon Le Bon impressions—Little Blaine trying to catch up to his big brother while Cooper danced around him, showing off. She smiles as the memories flood through her mind. She eyes a picture of Blaine looking very dapper in his Dalton uniform. Next to it she finds three newer pictures. In these pictures Blaine is hugging a gorgeous blue-eyed boy with porcelain skin and perfectly coiffed hair. Blaine's smile is so bright that she swears it can light up the entire world. She's never seen her son as happy as the times he's with his boyfriend, Kurt. At first her husband had objected to her including the pictures of "that boy" (as he referred to Kurt) with the pictures of the rest of the family, but Patricia stood her ground and insisted that Blaine's boyfriend was part of the family, too, so he had better get used to it.

_When Blaine came out to them about four years ago, it had been a shock for her husband. James Anderson was a proud man with old-fashioned beliefs and he would not accept that their youngest son was gay. Instead, he insisted Blaine fix a car with him in a vain attempt at bonding and to this day Blaine's relationship with his father remained strained._

_However, for Patricia the news of her son being gay didn't come as a surprise. She was his mother, after all, and what mother doesn't know her sons well enough to recognize when one of them is somewhat different? She accepted him and loved him unconditionally like every parent is supposed to do. _

_Then the Sadie Hawkins dance happened and their lives changed forever. She'll never forget the image of her youngest in a hospital bed: beaten and bruised for the sole reason of being gay. Gone was the spark in Blaine's eyes; his natural joy of life. In its place was a scared boy who didn't trust anyone. After months of recovery, they all decided that the best course of action was for Blaine to transfer to another school. Dalton Academy was the best option due to their strict no-bullying policy. After months at Dalton, she started to see glimpses of her bright-eyed boy return to her. _

_As Blaine acclimated himself to Dalton and The Warblers, Patricia couldn't put the Sadie Hawkins incident aside and found herself unintentionally distancing herself from her son. The fear of losing him was so great she could barely be near him. After almost a lifetime of being a stay-at-home mom, she decided to work again. She had been an art school graduate and had worked in publicity when she first married James Anderson. Blaine and Cooper's father came from a long line of wealthy and successful lawyers. His family name was the very definition of old money. So, when the time came for Patricia to go back to work, he used his influence to get her a job in one of the most prestigious advertising agencies in the world. The job, while fulfilling, meant months away from her family; mainly Blaine, since Cooper was off working on his acting career and James travelled the world working the inner dealings of his family's law firm. _

_For a while, it worked. Blaine had Kurt to keep him company and rarely spent a moment alone. During the little time Patricia spent home, she noticed how her son had blossomed beautifully and how his happiness from being so in love made his eyes shine with hope. This alleviated some of the guilt she felt from leaving her son alone for so long. She always called, e-mailed and texted him, but that didn't change the fact that she still wasn't physically there for him._

_Then Blaine announced he was transferring to McKinley High School and this worried her immensely, but the months passed and her beautiful boy seemed to be doing well. There was a moment when she considered leaving her job, especially after that incident at the beginning of the year that found Blaine needing eye surgery (she still couldn't believe the Warblers had been responsible for such an attack), but Blaine insisted he was fine and that he wasn't a child anymore, so she kept her work schedule as it was._

_Two months ago she left once more to fulfill her work demands, this time leaving Blaine truly alone since Kurt also left to seek his fortune in New York. It was then that her worries started to really materialize. He barely answered his e-mails, their phone calls would consist of "yes" and "no" answers, and his mood was somewhat erratic. Again, he assured her he was fine, but this time she didn't quite believe it._

_It was after a very specific call with Blaine two weeks ago that she made up her mind. She was coming back home for good. Her son needed her and she wouldn't stand idly by while he lost himself in whatever he was going through. Something had happened. She didn't know exactly what, but she would find out and try her best to be there for Blaine in the way she should have been these past couple of years._

She suddenly feels her phone vibrating in her purse and is pulled away from her thoughts. She pulls the phone out, glances at the screen, and sees it's a text message from her former boss trying to convince her to come back. She ignores it and heads upstairs to take a shower and change. She looks at the clock—it's 3:30 P.M. Blaine will be home soon and she has just enough time to make dinner for both of them. It's been so long since she's cooked for her son and she hopes he will be receptive to it. She puts on some music to calm her nerves and starts getting dinner ready.

Blaine Anderson walks into his house and is greeted with noises coming from the kitchen and the familiar scent of a home-cooked meal in the air. He wonders momentarily if it might be the maid since she always cooks for him on the day she comes in to clean, but he remembers that it's Thursday and she only works on Mondays. He notices the luggage set in the main hallway and he figures that maybe Cooper's home. He slowly approaches the kitchen and as he gets closer he hears music. He stops and listens for a moment—he recognizes the melody in an instant. It's Etta James' "Sunday Kind Of Love". A smile spreads across his face as he realizes exactly who is in the kitchen. His mother is home and something stirs deep inside him.

_Before she started working, his mother would always play the music of Etta James every time she cooked. It was a tradition that marked his childhood. She also used to play the songs of the legendary performer on the piano and would sing to Blaine in a sweet, soft voice. When he realized for the first time that he was in love with Kurt, he came running home to tell his mom and they spent all afternoon singing "At Last" at the top of their lungs until they were out of breath and fell giggling on the couch together. She had been so happy for him in that moment._

If she only knew how badly he had screwed things up. Tears were threatening to fall from his eyes as memories of Kurt dance through his mind. He shakes his head, willing his tears away, and finally makes his way to the kitchen. There he finds his mother at the kitchen counter, an apron tied around her waist and ingredients sprawled all over. She sings softly along with the song. His breath hitches at the image and he realizes how much he has missed her.

He finally steps into the kitchen.

"Mom!"

She looks up from the counter, where she was cutting some vegetables for a salad and smiles brightly as she sees her son for the first time in months. Her heart swells and she meets him halfway, wiping her hands on the apron. She sighs and pulls her son into a hug so tight she knows she's probably suffocating him, but she doesn't care.

"Blaine! I'm so happy to see you! I've missed you so much!"

He allows himself to almost drown in his mother's familiar scent of vanilla and lilacs; a scent he will always associate with her no matter how old he gets.

She pulls back from the hug and puts her hands on his shoulders.

"I've missed you, too," Blaine responds, tears already forming in his eyes. "How come you're home?"

"I needed a break, plus I missed my baby boy too much!"

He laughs softly at this.

It's only then when Patricia is able to take a good look at her son and she doesn't like what she sees. He's thinner, his olive skin is now pale, there are bags under his eyes, and he looks like he's been crying.

"Baby, what's wrong?"

"Nothing—really, I promise, Mom. I'm just tired. You know, school and everything."

He's lying and she knows it, but she decides not to insist, at least for now.

"OK, then go upstairs and get cleaned up. Dinner will be ready soon."

"Actually, Mom, I'm not that hungry. I'm just going to go to my room and take a nap, OK?"

He turns around and starts walking away when his mother's voice stops him.

"Blaine Devon Anderson, you stop right there, young man. We haven't seen each other in months. The least we can do is sit down and have a nice family dinner, even if it's just the two of us."

He sighs, rolls his eyes, and turns around slightly to look at his mother, who is standing in the middle of the kitchen with her hands on her hips. He can't help but smile at the image. He walks back to her and gives her a kiss on the cheek.

"You're right, Mom. I'm sorry. I'll go get cleaned up and come on down for dinner, OK?"

"That's better," she replies.

Blaine takes a quick shower and heads downstairs, where his mother is setting up the table. They eat at the breakfast table in the kitchen because it's no use doing it in the dining room when it's only just the two of them.

Patricia serves a generous portion for Blaine and hands him the plate. He smiles and quirks an eyebrow as he states with amusement in his voice: "Eggplant Parmesan."

His mom looks up to him and smiles back. "It's your favorite."

She sits down next to Blaine and for a while they both eat in silence.

"So, how's school?" She asks casually.

Blaine barely looks up from his plate as he answers. "It's OK. A lot of work, but nothing I can't handle. I mean, it's McKinley, not Dalton. The classes there aren't exactly challenging."

He shrugs as he continues eating.

"Mm, this is really good, Mom!" He tries to deflect, but she's not having it.

"I'm glad you like it, honey. What about glee club? How's everything with the New Directions?"

He tenses somewhat at the question, but answers anyway. "We're working on the school musical."

"Oh, and what are you performing this year?"

"_Grease_."

"That's wonderful, darling! Who are you playing? Wait, let me guess… You're playing Danny, aren't you?"

He swallows hard. "They offered me the part, but I didn't accept it."

Patricia furrows her brow in confusion, but before she can ask why, Blaine continues. "I'm playing Teen Angel instead."

"Oh, well, that's just fine. I'll be sure to be there front row and center."

"Mom, you really don't have to go, it's just one scene."

"Nonsense. I already missed the chance to see you play Tony in _West Side Story_ last year. I am certainly not missing the opportunity to see you in _Grease_, even if it _is_ only just one scene."

They're silent once again as they continue eating and Patricia wonders why Blaine would give up the chance to play Danny Zuko. Blaine is a natural performer and would never give up the prospect of playing such an important role, even if it's just for a school play.

She decides to let it slide for now and starts a new topic.

"So, how's Kurt? You haven't really talked much about him lately."

He tenses visibly at the question. He puts down his fork for a moment and takes a deep breath before answering.

"He's doing well in New York—got a job with Vogue dot com and everything."

"Well, that's impressive. I'd love to say hi to him sometime, so the next time you two talk; you give me a few minutes with him, OK?"

He sighs. "I'm not going to be able to do that, Mom."

Now she's _really_ confused. "Why not?"

Blaine's response comes out in a mumbled mess: "'Causewebrokeup."

"Excuse me?"

He lets out a breath as he repeats his answer, slower this time.

The shock is evident in her voice as she asks "How? What happened?"

Blaine stops eating now as he feels the bile come slowly up his throat. He tries to steady himself. "I cheated on him."

She lets out a soft gasp. She puts down her fork and grabs hold of Blaine's hand, sadness pouring from her as she says "Oh, Blaine. Honey, no!"

His hand trembles faintly under his mother's touch and his chest compresses.

He manages to steady his voice enough to say "It's done now. It doesn't matter anymore and I really don't want to keep talking about it, please!"

He looks up to his mother's face, his hazel eyes meeting her chocolate orbs. She nods.

She wants to know exactly what happened, but she doesn't want to push him if he's not ready to talk.

Instead, they settle into a somewhat comfortable conversation about Cooper, his father, and the upcoming holidays.

Patricia looks up from her plate as cheerfully as possible. "So, what do you want for Christmas?"

Blaine breaks down then. Tears flow freely down his face as he looks at his mother and exclaims "I just want Kurt!"

A painful sob racks through his body and Patricia gathers him in her arms.

"Oh, God—I screwed up so bad, Momma! How could I have ruined the most special thing I've ever had?"

She pets his hair softly as tears come down her cheeks. She can't stand to see her son so wrecked, so defeated. She holds him in her arms and speaks little endearments in his ear.

"It's okay, baby. It'll all be okay."

"I was so lonely, Momma. I couldn't breathe… and Kurt wasn't here and I just couldn't deal with it. How could I have been so stupid?"

Blaine wraps himself tightly around his mother; his head buried in her shoulder, letting him feel the comforting warmth of his mother's embrace.

A twinge of guilt strikes at Patricia. Her youngest son was lonely. He needed her and she hadn't been there for him. This was inadvertently her fault and she didn't know how to fix it. Maybe if she had been here for him, she could've helped him deal with Kurt's absence. Instead, she was miles away in her own self-absorbed world while her baby boy fell apart and gave himself to someone other than the love of his life. She let her own selfish and irrational fear of losing Blaine govern her life and now her son was the one facing the consequences.

All of a sudden everything made sense—the unanswered e-mails, the short phone calls, and his tired demeanor, even turning down the lead in the school musical.

She continues to pet his hair. "Blaine, I am so sorry, sweetheart. I should have been here for you. You shouldn't have to feel that much loneliness ever. Baby, I'm so sorry!"

Her cries mix with his as he responds. "It isn't your fault, Mom. I'm the one who cheated on Kurt. I'm the one who's not worthy of any kind of love because I always screw things up!"

"Oh, baby… no. You are so worthy of love, Blaine." She nudges him slightly and holds his face in her hands.

Looking into his eyes she speaks: "You are so amazing, Blaine—so talented and caring and kind. You always give yourself completely to everything you do. Don't ever think you're not worthy of love. And if I had been here for you, you wouldn't feel like this. I could've seen to it, and I'll spend the rest of my life trying to make it up to you, baby."

He launches back into his mother's arms. "I missed you so much, Momma! I'm sorry I let you down! Please don't leave me again. I promise I'll be good. I'll make you proud!"

Blaine is sobbing uncontrollably now and Patricia's heart is shattered into a million pieces. How could she have been so clueless, so unattached that she didn't notice the damage she was causing her son?

"You don't ever have to worry about making me proud. I am already so proud of you, Blaine. I admire you so much, sweetie. You're so much stronger than I ever have been. You've been through so much and all I have ever done is hide from my own pain and my own fears."

They both cry for what seems like forever; mother and son holding each other, allowing their pain to flow freely, and slowly but surely giving forgiveness a chance to bloom within their hearts.

Blaine's sobs subside and only tiny hiccups remain as he slowly draws away from his mother's embrace.

He looks at his mother and he knows his face is surely blotched red with tear tracks down his cheeks.

"He hates me," He states simply.

"I don't think he hates you, sweetheart."

"He won't talk to me. He won't answer my texts or my e-mails." He sniffs.

Patricia moves her hand to wipe her son's face lightly. "He needs time, Blaine. You need to give him time to figure everything out. I'm sure he's hurting right now. You can't expect him to give you a chance just like that."

He knows she's right. Of course she's right, but that doesn't stop him from asking "What if he never wants me back again?"

The innocence in his eyes reminds her of that time when Blaine was four-years-old and wanted a puppy, but they wouldn't let him have one.

She can't help but smile sweetly as she replies "Then you just keep on breathing, baby. Keep on living. Keep on fighting, because you're a survivor, Blaine… and maybe you don't see it now, but you're destined for great things. And you'll get through this because you are so much stronger than you think."

He gives her a small smile. Their food is now cold and long forgotten. Patricia takes the edge of her sleeve, wipes Blaine's eyes with it, and then proceeds to wipe his nose just like she used to do when he was a little boy.

He gives a small laugh and rolls his eyes. "Mom, I'm not a baby anymore! Stop doing that!"

"See, that's where you're wrong… because no matter how old you are; you will always be my baby boy!"

She smiles brightly at him as he rolls his eyes again. She wipes the remnants of tears from her own face, takes a deep breath, and asks "So… you think you're up for dessert?"

Blaine perks up slightly, eyes wide and still wet from crying, and just nods.

She goes to the fridge to get dessert while Blaine cleans up the table, and just like that, they fall back with ease into their little mother/son routine, and for a moment it's like they're back to more innocent times: before boyfriends, Dalton and Sadie Hawkins; when they were just a mother and son listening to music while they ate dessert in the kitchen.

And it's in that moment that Patricia Anderson makes a mental note… Tonight she'll enjoy this quiet time with her son and tomorrow she will help gather up the broken pieces of his heart and help put them back together again.

_Fin._

**A/N: Working on a sequel that will take place after Episode 4x06.**


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